From dog dishes in logs to storm-resistant potty zones, we received lots of brilliant suggestions from readers for pet-smart homemaking (which you’ll find in our September issue). But an email from Melissa A. Schnabel and Michael Keleman arrived after we went to press, and so didn’t make it into the magazine. We're sneaking it into the blog because we didn’t want to miss a chance to show you how they responded to the needs and desires of both human and canine residents.

Schnabel and Keleman share their Oakwood, Ohio, home with five dogs. Their pack includes Water, a 10-ish foster Beagle who stole their heart; a Terrier mix named Max and a Beagle mix named Daisy Mae (both around seven); Anna Banana, a four-year-old Pit Bull mix they found on the side of the road; and Piper, a three-year-old Shiba Inu/Chow Chow mix from the Humane Society of Greater Akron, where Schnabel volunteers.

With so many canine housemates, the couple has become pretty inventive about managing traffic flow. A key solution: caves. Their kitchen island doubles as a canine getaway when they have company. About their entertainment center, Schnabel writes, “I didn’t like the look of having three-plus dog beds laying around so we built the entertainment center so the dogs have a ‘dog cave’ to retire to. They LOVE it!”